Rhizosphere Microbiome Engineering for Crop Cultivation

Plants sustain thousands of different microbes around and inside of major organs. In recent years, the importance of microbiome on crop growth and health has been evidenced by an increasing volume of studies. However, our current understanding of crop-associated microbiomes is still limited. As a beneficial microbiome is increasingly recognized as essential for crop health, productivity, stress tolerance and nutrient acquisition, the diverse molecular pathways involved in plant-microbe synergy are unclear. In-depth studies have shown that microbiome composition is partly determined by host genotype and environmental factors, supported by distinct microbial communities found to associate with different crop species and organs. Yet, mechanisms underlying crop recruitment of beneficial microbial helpers are largely unknown. In addition, the efficiency of currently available microbial products in promoting crop growth in field trials is highly uncertain. To this end, it is essential to deeply study the assembly and function of crop associated microbiomes in order to innovatively develop microbiome-derived applications for crop cultivation in sustainable agriculture.

Here, we will collect a broad spectrum of contributions from different perspectives that address the topic of microbiome engineering for crop cultivation. The overall aims are to i) expand our knowledge on crop associated microbiome composition, abundance, temporal/spatial distribution and their driving factors; ii) deepen mechanistic insights into the function of microbiome for improving crop health, and iii) develop novel approaches for visualizing and engineering crop associated microbiomes; iv) identify potential applications of beneficial microbiomes as well as methodologies in agriculture and beyond.

Submissions can include original research as well as review papers.

The following aspects will be addressed in the contributions to the Research Topic:

• Occurrence, diversity, and assembly of crop-associated microbiome in different habitats.
• Genetic and molecular basis of microbiome recruitments of different crop species.
• Responses of crop associated microbiomes to (a)biotic stresses and their functional traits.
• Responses of crop associated microbiomes to nutrient regimes.
• Innovation of microbiome derived approaches for crop cultivation.
• Innovation of microbiome visualization and engineering methodologies